Electrical relay.



E. E. K'LEINSGHMIDT.

ELECTRICAL RELAY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

E. E. KLEINSCHMIDT'. ELECTRICAL RELAY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.18, 1908.

ZSHEETS-SHEET 2.

V I %14 5420x1421 Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

EDWARD E. KLEINSCHMIDT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC-AL RELAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

Application filed November 18, 1908. Serial No. 463,289.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that I, EDWARD E. KLEIN- SCHMIDT, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, city and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricalRelays, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electric signaling devices especially adapted torailways in which there is a single track with cars running in bothdirections and passing each other at sidings.

My improvements and advantages among other respects are, first, that thepolarized and numerous supplementary relays required by other systemsforthe purpose are done away with; second, the number of track circuitsis reduced to a minimum. By my presentimprovements, there are preferablyonly two track circuits between sidings which in itself amounts to avery considerable saving in the cost of installation and maintenancecompared with the average other system in which there are necessarilyfrom four to six track circuits between sidings and even more.

Further objects and advantages of my improvements will be apparent froman understanding of the annexed description and drawings.

In the drawings which show only one of the forms which my improvementsmay take, Figure 1 is a vertical mid-section partly in elevation of arelay specially devised for the present purpose and used in combinationwith the system; Fig. 2 is a top plan of the relay of Fig. 1 with itstop portion broken away to reveal the interior; and Figs. 3, 4- and 5are each partial views showing various positions of the interlockingmember and related parts of the relay in Fig. 1, said positionscorresponding to various conditions of the track circuits due to thepresence or absence of-cars in the blocks. The significance of thesevarious figures will be made apparent later. Fig. 6 is a diagrammaticrepresentation of a relay and signal system within my invention.

The relay shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a casing 1, two sets ofmagnets X and Y, a supporting frame comprising parallel members 3between which is rotatably supported a barrel or interlocking member 4.At opposite ends of the frame 3 are pivotally sup-' ported right-angledmembers each comprising a vertical arm 5 or 5 and a horizontal arm 6 or6. The vertical arms carry armatures 7 located adjacent the poles of themagnets X and Y. The horizontal arms are shown insulated at 8 from thevertical arms, and extend toward the barrel or interlocking member 4located between them. Here the horizontal arms are provided withlatcharms 9 and 9' pivot-ally supported from the horizontal arms andextending uprightly at the sides of the barrel. The barrel orinterlocking member itself is shown as comprising a body member 10 ofinsulating material having an axial opening through which passes a shaft11 about which the barrel swings, said shaft consisting of the smoothstem of a screw 12 that connects across between depending lugs 13 fromthe frame members 3. Secured to the ends of the body member 10 areplates 14 having ends projecting beyond the sides of the barrel andhaving across said ends rods 15. These plates may have hubs 16 bestshown in Fig. 2.

To hold the interlocking member stationary in any given position intowhich it may have been last swung, a friction washer 17 is provided,that shown m'Fig. 2 comprising a cupped-up sheet metal washer split atone or'more places to give it resiliency under compression, said washerbeing located on the shaft 11 and being confined bet-ween the hub of oneof the plates 14 and the adjacent frame member 3.

The latch arins 9 and 9 have vertically extending recesses 18 adjacentthe cross rods 15 of the side plates, the upper boundary of saidrecesses consisting of shoulders 19 adapted under certain conditions tooverhang the cross rods and contact with same to swing the barrel fromthe downward motion of the latch arms. Springs 20 connect the lower endsof the latch arms with the horizontal arms to give the latch arms normaltendency toward the barrel with'their shoulders or projections 19overhanging the cross rods of the barrel. The upper ends of the latcharms are received against rods 21 located across the frame members 3 andare held yieldingly against said rods by the action of the springs 20.The contact portions of the latch arms wit-h the rods 21 are camsurfaces 22 adapted to cam the latch arms outwardly to carry theirshoulders-19 out of contact with the cross rods 15 on the barrel when indescent of the latch arms they have carried the barrel through a glvenare, whereupon the latch arms will continue for the rest of theirdownward motion without affecting the position of the barrel. The lowershoulders 23 of the recesses 18 are wide enough to underlie the rods 15at all times. The underside of the barrel at either side is notched outso as not to contact with the ends of the horizontal arms during theswinging in either direction of the barrel. The remainin bottom portionof the barrel is provided with insulated contact plates 2? and 5 adaptedrespectively under certain conditions to contact with the ends of thehorizontal arms 6 .or 6 depending upon which position of swing thebarrel occupies.

The vertical arms 5 and 5 attheir upper ends, each carry a horizontallyextending bar 25 or 25' of insulating material along which are disposeda series of contacts. Thus on the side of bar 25 next the ma net X arethree pairs of contacts 4*, .2 an 5, whereas on the reverse side is afourth pair of contacts 3". There are four pairs of brushes designatedby the same letters properly positioned to contact with these contacts,said brushes being best shown in Fig.

1 and have the form of spring arms depen ing from the inner ends ofbinding posts on top of the relay casing. The bar 25 is similarly fittedwith pairs of contacts 3 5, 2 and 4 When the armatures and vertical armsare in position nearest the poles of the magnets, then the three pairsof contacts of the respective bars 25 and 25 are touching their brushes.This is the condition when the magnet or magnets are energized. ()n thecontrary when the armatures and the vertical arms are in their positionfarthest away from the poles of the magnets, which is the positionoccupied when the particular magnet or magnets are deenergized, thenonly the single pair of contacts-3 or 4 or both are in contact withtheir brushes.

'. An intermediate and third position for the armatures and verticalarms exists, in

-which neither set of contacts touches the brushes, said position beingthat in which the end of one of the horizontal arms 6 or 6 is in contactwith one of the contact plates 2" or 5 on the bottom of the barrel asindicated in Fig. The circumstances under which this and the otherdescribed conditions occur will be understood from the followingdescription. In the first place it may be prefaced that the railwayshown comprises a single track with cars passing each other-at sldings.There are two sidings shown marked sidings 1 and 2'respectively. Betweenthese sidings there are two block sections X and Y. The magnet X of therelay is connected across the rails of section X and the magnet Y acrossthe rails magnet or magnets will be short-circuitedv Thus with bothblocks unoccupied, both magnets X and Y will be energized and botharmatures will be attracted int-o the position shown in Figs. 1 and?with the contacts 4, 2*, 5, 3, 5 and 2 all made and with the latch armsin their uppermost position with the barrel in normal or nontiltedposition. Should a car now enter from the left into block X it willdeenergize magnet X, release its armature and permit the horizontal armto carry downward by gravity its latch arm 9 to swing the lower end ofthe barrel to the right and to carry the vertical arm 5 also to theright to make contacts 3'". This is the condition indicated in Fig. 3.Precisely the same condition, except that the barrel will be tilted tothe left with the other latch-arm 91 in the lowermost position and withlatch arm 9 held elevated, would exist for a car entering from the rightinto block Y, instead of as supposed from the left into block X. Shouldnow the car proceed from X into Y, it will be evident that at theconnecting point between the blocks, the front and rear axles of the carWlll straddle both blocks, in other words, for the time being thecondition will be the same as if both blocks were occupied. The

effect will be to dcenergize both sets of magnets X and Y which meansthat magnet Y will now drop its armature, magnet X having already doneso. With the dropping of the horizontal arm 6, its latch arm 9 willcarry the lower end of the barrel to the left. In other worls the partswill assume the positions shown in Fig. 4. Finally when the car haswholly proceeded into block Y, then magnet X being no longershort-circuited will attract its armature, but same can not be broughtback into its original position immediately adjacent the poles of magnetX. on the contrary cannot approach nearer than an intermediate positionin which none of the brushes 4*, 2, 5 or 3 are in contact but in whichthe end of the horizontal arm 6 abuts against and is in contact with theplate 2 on the bottom of the barrel. In other Words, the position of-theparts shown in Fig. 5 is that corresponding to a condition of trackcircuits in which a car has proceeded from the left into block X and hasproceeded into block Y leaving block X unoccupied] Precisely the samerelative position of parts exists for a car proceeding from the rightthrough block Y into block X, except that the positions will be reversedwith the barrel swung to the.right with the latch arm 9 down and arm 9up. When the car in Y proceeds out of said block leaving both blocks Xand Y unoccupied, the interlocking barrel and latch arms will berestored from the position shown in Fig. 5 to theiriiormal positionshown in Fig. 1,' because magnet Y will now be energized and attractingits armature will lift its horizontal arm 6 so that the lower shoulder23 of the latch arm will swing the lower end of the barrel to the rightand into the position shown in Fig. 1, whereas the other magnet X beingalso energized is now able to carry its armature and horizontal arm 6also into the position shown in Fig. 1 because the barrelin its motionto the right has swung out of interfering position with the up-liftingof. said horizontal arm back into the position of Fig. 1.

The above will suffice for a description of the working of the relay,from which it will be seen that there are three positions for eacharmature and set of contacts, first, a position in which the armature isfully attracted with the three sets of contacts made;

second, a position in which the armature is released with single pair ofcontacts made; and third, an intermediate position in which none of theforegoing contacts are made but in which the armature is held attractedinwardly to make contacts 2 or 5 depending upon the position of thebarrel.

The succeeding description will chiefly refer to the diagram in Fig. 6.Here the described relay is shown diagrammatically. Thus instead ofshowing the contacts in pairs, which is merely a preferable constructionto satisfy working conditions, a double break being better than a singlebreak, said contacts are shown singly. Moreover they are shown disposedone over the other instead of horizontally alongside. Moreover thecontacts 3 and 4" are shown forming part respectively of contacts 5 and2 this being a convenient representation in view of the fact that saidpairs of contacts are connected in Fig. 2.

In the dia ram, there are two block sections X and between the sidings 1and 2. I have also shown at the left a portion of a block sectiondesignated Y and which corresponds to block section Y. Whereas at theright I have shown a portion of a block section designated Xcorresponding to block X In the particular system shown there are sixsignals controlled by the relay, these signals being designated in thediagram by the numerals 1 to 6.' The signals 1 and 6, each consist oftwo signals in series but for convenience are considered as one signalsince they operate simultaneously with the same indication. Thus signal1 comprises signals 1 and 1, 1 being a permissive signal to 4 and 5,

give an advance indication of the position of signal 1. Similarly signal6 consists of a main signal 6 and a permissive signal 6.

C is a common return forv all the signals and B is the battery tooperate the signals, the system shown being one in which, when thesignals are energized, they are clear and when dee'nergized they go todanger.

To explain the connections between the relay and the track circuit-s andsignals, I will start a car on the main track of siding 1 proceeding tothe right. The eliect of the presence of this car is to set at dangersignals 1 and 1 due to the following connections. Thus these signals areconnected in series across the common return C through contacts 9adapted to be closed when magnet S is energized and adapted to be openedwhen deenergized, said magnet being connected across the rails of themain track of siding 1, across which is also connected a battery I).These contacts 9 are likewise connected in series with contacts 2 of therelay, thence through the main battery B back to the common return tocomplete the circuit. Thus the clearing of signals 1 and 1 is dependentupon both sets of contacts 9 and 2 being closed, if either be open thesignals will go to danger. This last is the condition existing in theimaginary case, because a car in the main track of siding 1short-circuits the magnet S causing the opening of contacts 9, hence thesignals 1 and 1 go to danger. This is a necessary indication, since itprevents another car following from the left into the same block. Thecar having now proceeded into block X the contacts 9 by which thesignals 1 and 1 originally went to danger, will close but the signalswill still remain at danger, because the magnet X will now bedeenergized to dro its armature and open the contacts 2 ccordingly thesignals 1 and 1 will remain at danger. Signals 2 and 5; 6 and 6 willalso go to danger, whereas signal 3 will clear. The connections by whichthese operations are accomplished are as follows. Thus signal 2 isconnected across from the common return through contacts 2 and 2, saidcontacts being in series, and thence back by way of the battery to thecommon retu n. In other words, to clear signal 2, contacts 2 closed,which means that both magnets X and Y must be energized, which isthesame thing as saying that a car entering from the left into block 'X orfrom the right into Y is sufficient to deenergize signal 2 and cause itto go to danger. Signal 5 has connections corresponding to those ofsign'al 2, it being connected from the common return through two pairsof contacts in series, designated 5 thence by the battery back to thecommon return. Accordingly as with signal 2, to get current to signal 5to clear the and 2 must both be signal, it is necessary that bothmagnets X and Yshould be energized'to make both these contacts. lhis isnot the condition in the imaginary case where the car now is inblock X,because the contacts. 5 will be open, consequently signal 5- will be atdanger along with signal 2 as already explained, These dangerindications of signals 2 and 5 thus serve first, to prevent a car fromfollowing up upon the car alreadyin block- X, and second, to prevent acar from entering from the right into bloclr Y, which must be kept clearso that the car already in block: X can proceed through block and passat the siding any car proceeding from the right. The further mentionedeffect of the presence of a car in block X to clear signal 3 isaccomplished by the following conned tions. Thus this signal 3 isconnected from the common return through two pairs of contacts in seriesdesignated tits and 3 thence by the battery back tothe common return;Both of these cont tits will be closed to clear signal 3, when' magnet Xis as is precisely the condition in the imaginary case, because there isa car in block X shortcircuiting magnet X.

It may be conveniently noted here that signal a isconnected incorresponding manner with signal 3, that is to say, it is connected fromthe common return through two pairs of contacts in series, designated land a thence by the battery back to the common return. To clear signal 4it is therefore necessary that magnet- Y be deenergized and magnet X be,energized, as for example when there is a car proceeding from the rightin block Y with no car in block X. However this condition does not nowexist for signal 4*, Which must go to danger because there is a car inblock X and contacts 4" are open. This alone is sufficient to throwsignal 4 to danger. As a matter of fact, block Y being unoccupied,contacts 4 for signal 4 will likewise be open, which is anadditional'reason why under the conditions signal 4: is set. The objectof this signal is evidently that-of preventing a possible car to inblock Y proceeding towardthe left from colliding with the car in X. I

Continuing now the progress of the. imaginary car and assuming it tohave pro grossed into .bloclr Y, the efi'ect will be to clear signal 1and l and signal 2, while it will set at danger signal 3. Thus signals 1and 1 will clear because, there being no car in block X, magnet X w ll,be energized,

contacts 2 and l will be closed, and the so other contacts 9' for thesesignals. 1 and I? being already closed, it follows that there will be acircuitthrough signals 1 and It to clear said signalsuin other words,theywill indicate that a car is free to proceed as from theleft towardthe right out of bloclr battery B with the common return.

deenergized and magnet Y energized, which in Fig. second, by the passageof a car into bloclr Y as it straddles both blocks X and Y into theposition shown in Fig. a; 55 and third, by the entrance of the car fullyin block Y with no car in block X into the position shown in Fig. 5. Inthis third position, there being no car in block X, magnet X will beenergized and itwill attract lts so armature but same can go only to thehere- 'tofore described intermediate position with .the bottom contacts2 closed. These contacts are in series with contacts 4; for signals 1*,1 and 2 and connect through tjliue 35 11 other words both sets ofcontacts 41- and 2 will be closed, and signals 1, 1 2 will clear underthe assumed condition, wherein a car proceeding to the right has passedout so of block X completely into block Y. it may here be said thatsignals 5, 6 and (i is correspondingly connected. to clear, when a carproceeding to the left has passed out of block Y fully into block X. Theconnections of signals 5, 6 and 6 for the purpose being from thecommonreturn through contacts 3 and 5 through the battery back to the commonreturn. Returning to our imaginary car in block Y, signal 3 will be atdanger because being in series with contacts 3' and 3", contacts 3? willbe open. The car having proceeded into the main section of track ofsiding 2 will cause all of the signals behind to clear, if not alreadyin that condition, except signals 3 and i of which the normal conditionis danger The signals 6 and 6 will remain at danger by the shortcircuitof magnet S across the rails, causing it to drop its armature to opencontacts 70 in series with the signals 6 and 6 and thence leading bycontacts 5 on the relay through the battery back to the common return.Thus the opening of the aforesaid contacts 7c is'snfiicient to setatdanger the .sig- 1 nals 6 -6 due tothe presence of a car in the mainsection of track of siding 2. Such indication therefore makes impossiblea head-on collision at this point by a car proceeding to the left out ofsection X which 1% car thereby receives the indication to turn into thesiding instead of proceeding on through the main tracln The signalsshown in dotted lines connect with similar relays belonging to similarpairs of. block-sections X Y or X Y to the right and left of therelayshown in the diagram. These dotted-line signals have been given thesame numerals (written dotted) asthe corresponding signals 1 to 6 thathave been described and are connected arms having spaced apartprojections and having a forward reciprocation from a position No. 1into a position No. 2, and a return reciprocation from position N o.- 2back into position No. 1, each of said arms on its forward reciprocationhaving. one of its projections engaging the interlocking member andswinging said member into a-position wherein it arrests the otherreciprocating arm in a position No. 3, should said arm be returning fromits No. 2 position to No. 1, each arm having its aforesaid projectioncarried out of engagement with the interlocking member before the armarrives in its position No. 2, and each arm on its return reciprocationhaving its other projection in engage cut with the interlocking memberto swing said member out of any arresting position which it may haverelative to the opposite reciprocating arm; electro-magnetic means foreach reciprocating arm adapted to effect its reciprocation; andelectrical contacts respectively operated when the relay members are intheir said positions.

2. In a rela the combination ofan interlocking mem 'r supported to swingand adapted to remain in the given position last,

swung into; latch arms one on eachside of the interlocking member, eachof said arms havin a forward reciprocation from a position o. 1 into aposition No. 2, and a reverse return reciprocatiomand each having spacedapartpro ections, one of them a short projection 19 and the other a longprojec-. tion 23, one or the other of said projections engaging theinterlocking member and swinging said member in one direction or theother depending upon the direction of reciprocation of the latch arm;bell-cranks on opposite sides of the interlocking member ivotally sup attheir angles and each aving oneo its arms conven ently termed itshorizontal arm p'ro'ecting toward the interlocking member an having itsother arm conveniently'termed its vertical arm provided with anarmature; magnets for attractingand releasing said armatures toreciprocate the horizontal arms of the bellcranks along with the latcharms, which are ivotally supported from the ends of said orizontalarms,'each of said arms on .its

forward reciprocation having I its short pro- 'ection 19 ,in ca ing enagement with the interlocking meh her until said member has.

I position reciprocation,

' been swung into the path of the extremity of. the horizontal arm ofthe other bellcrank preventing the complete return reciprocation of theother latch arm back to its position No; 1; cam means acting on eachlatch arm to cam its short pro ection 19 out of the aforesaid carryingengagement with the interlocking member, after said member has beenswung into the aforesaid obstructing position and beforethe particularlatch arm has fully arrived in its No. 2 position, each-of said latcharms on its return reciprocation fully back into its position No.1having its long rojection 23 in engagement with the inter ocking memberto swing said member out of any obstructing position which it may haverelative to the horizontal arm of the bell-crank belonging to the otherlatch arm; two contactpoints H on the vertical arm-- of each bellcrank,onecontact point on either side of said arm, and stationarymembersspaced apart to contact with one or the other of said contact pointswhen the particular vertical arm is in either one of its positions ofswing corresponding 'to the no. 1 or No; 2 positions of-its latch arm,and additional electrical contacts comprising the ends of thehorizontalarmsof the bell-cranks and the portion of; the interlocking'member which obstructs said ends during the operation of said memberasaforesaid.

tion of-said members from their position No; 1 into their position No. 2being termed their-forward reciprocation and their re ciprocation fromosition llo. 2 back into No. 1 being termed their return each of saidmembers on its .forward reciprocation coo erating with the interlockingmember an swinging same until said member arrests the other relay memberin a position No. 3, should said 3. A :relay comprising an interlockingmember supported to swing and adapted to I relay members eachrecipromember be returning from its No. 2 position v v to No. 1 and eachrelay member on its re turn reciprocation coo erating with theinterlocking member an swinging it out of any obstructing position itmay have as to the otherrelay member; and electrical contactsrespectivelyo erated when the relay members are-1n sai positions.

4. A relay com rising in. combination a pair of relay mem ers, eachmovable from a position No. into turn, means interlocking said relaymembers, said means being 0 erated by either of said members on itsmotion into Now 2 posi a position No, 2 and reiso tions,

. 5, A relay comprising in combination a, pair of relay members eachmovable from a position No. 1 into a position No. 2 and re turn,:'eitherof said. relay members in posi ticn No 2 operating to prevent the othermember from returning into position No.

and to arrest? it in a position No. 3 and electrical contactsrespectively operated when the relay members are in said positions. 7

6. An electrical relay comprising a pair of electro-magnet armatures,each armature being operable between two positions conof'electro-rnagnet armatnres, each operable venicn'tly designaterlpositions No 1 and N o.

2, an interlocking means operated by the movement of one armature toarrest the other armature at another position No. 3., an electricalcontacts respectively operated by the armatures at their aforesaiddifi'erent 7 positions v 7.. An electrlcal relay comprising a pairbetween two extreme positions conveniently designated positions No. 1

anti No. 2, an interlocking means operated by the movenoieeeo tactsrespectively operated by the armatures at their'oli erent positions.

8. An electrical relay comprising a pair of electro-magnet armatureseach operable between two positions conveniently designated positionsNo. 1 and No. 2, an interlocking means operate& by the movementof onearmature to arrest the other armature at another position No 3, andthree sets of electrical contacts for said armatures, the first setbeing a contact on the armature and another independent contact locatedto engage therewith when the armature is in its N o. 1 position, thesecond set of contacts being a contact on the armature and anotherindependent contact located to enga e therewith When the armature is inits her 2 position, and the third set of contacts being a contaoton thearmature and another contact on the interlockingmeans located to comeinto engagement with said armature l contact when the interlocking meansarrests the armature in its No. 3 position In Witnesswhereof, I havesigned my name'to the foregoing specification in the presence of twosubscribing witnessmn EDWARD E. KLEINSCHRHDT. Witnesses: 2 Q

E. W. Somme, Jr, WELIAM R. Bennc

